Haughmond Abbey

Haughmond Abbey, which is sometimes referred to as the Abbey of St John the Evangelist, is located only four miles outside of Shrewsbury. It is the oldest of three houses of Austin canons established in Shropshire. There is no definite record of when a religious community was first established at Haughmond but it is said that one existed by 1130 and a locally written 13th century chronicle puts the foundation year as 1110.

The Abbey was finally dissolved in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII. At this time there were ten canons and the abbot in residence. All the canons and the abbot were present at the signing of the deed of surrender, the formal handing over of the abbey to Henry and each of them received a generous pension.

During the 1130’s it attracted the patronage of Willaim fitz Alan of Clun. In 1135 he founded an Augustinian priory, but having established itself as one of the Order's more influential houses, Haughmond was given Abbey status in 1155.

Indeed, there are believed to have been some 24 canons residing at Haughmond Abbey by the end of the 12th Century and, from the architectural evidence surviving today, there is little doubt that it was once a thriving and prosperous community.The abbey ruins include parts of the chapter house, refectory (dining hall) and the later infirmary of the 14th century, but only the foundations of the abbey church. The abbey precinct is enclosed in part by a wall of undressed stone, which still stands around the south and west sides. The outer gatehouse and a possible inner gatehouse survive in earthwork form along with other buildings which may have been part of the Abbey. A reservoir and three possible fishponds can be identified, along with various other medieval features.

A single Norman arched doorway, leading from the nave of the church into the cloister shows fine foliage moulding, with the sculptured figures of St Peter and St Paul either side of the opening.Close by on Haughmond Hill is the spot known as Douglas's Leap - where the Earl of Douglas, in flight from the Battle of Shrewsbury, was thrown from his horse and captured by Henry IV's men.

Possibly the best preserved part of the site is Chapter House, where the monks would meet to discuss the daily business of the abbey. This room still retains the intricate carvings of Saints set into the arches. From left to right the saints are thought to be:-

St. Augustine St Thomas Beckett St. Catherine of Alexandria St. John the Evangelist St. John the Baptist St. Margaret of Antioch St. Winifred St. Michael

When the Abbey was in use, the canons would meet in the Chapter House to discuss the day-to-day running of the Abbey and religious business with the abbot.

Inside the Chapter House there are a number of tombstones and an octagonal font, which may have been removed from the church.

In 1403 The Battle of Shrewsbury between King Henry IV and the rebels led by Henry 'Hotspur' Percy took place near Haughmond Abbey, approximately two miles to the north-west. The site of the Battlefield can still be visited today.

The Abbey was finally dissolved in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII. At this time there were ten canons and the abbot in residence. All the canons and the abbot were present at the signing of the deed of surrender, the formal handing over of the abbey to Henry and each of them received a generous pension.

Following the dissolution, the Abbey passed to Sir Edward Littlejohn, who was responsible for converting the Abbot’s Hall into a private residence. Some of the other buildings around the cloister were also used as private quarters. The abbey later came into the possession of Sir Rowland Hill and the Barker Family.

During the English Civil War a fire broke out at the abbey and the afterwards the buildings were used for farming with a small cottage built for this purpose still standing near the Abbot’s House until the site was passed over the Office of Works in 1933. Today the site is owned and maintained by English Heritage.